Fare collectx



April 14, 1959 H. B. MILLER COIN ASSORTING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A MULTIPLE-COIN FARE COLLECTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21 1951 April 14, 1959 H. B. MILLER 2,881,775

COIN ASSORTING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A MULTIPLE-COIN FARE COLLECTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21 1951 April 14, 1959 H.-B. MILLER 2,831,775

COIN ASSORTING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A MULTIPLE-COIN FARE COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed March 21, 195i 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 44 44 4? J9 Iva 82260) April 14, 1959 H. B. MILLER 2,831,775

com ASSORTING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A MULTIPLE-COIN FARE COLLECTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 21 1951 1 M @W /Ei 6 Bally 11/07/97 United. States Patent COIN ASSORTING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A MULTIPLE-COIN FARE COLLECTING APPARATUS Harry B. Miller, Warwick, R.I., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Grant Development Company, Providencc, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application March 21, 1951, Serial No. 216,702

2 Claims. (Cl. 133-3) This invention pertains to. fare collecting apparatus of the multiple-coin farev type, and relates more particularly to means for assorting coins or tokens of different denominations. Fare collecting apparatus of the above type is designed to receive fares comprising coins of dif ferent denominations and/or tokens, and after the coins or tokens constituting the fare have been counted or registered, it is common to separate the coins of different denominations and to place them in the corresponding magazines of a change maker. Manual assorting of the coins is slow and troublesome, especially for the driver of a bus who has many other duties to perform.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide automatic means for assorting coins or tokens of different denominations and for directly delivering them into the magazines of a change making device or into other appropriate receptacles. A further object is to provide coin assorting means which is reliable in operation and which is capable of assorting coins and/or tokens of any of the denominations customarily employed in the payment of fares. A further object is to provide coin assorting means so designed that by simple exchange of parts it may be adapted to assort coins of different denominations. A further object is to provide coin assorting means so designed that it will not become jammed by coins or tokens which are not exactly circular. A further object is to provide coin assorting means including devices, other than gravity, for expelling coins into the proper delivery orifices or passages. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation, showing the coin assorting apparatus of the present invention embodied in a fare collecting machine in which the coins are first gauged as to diameter as a preliminary to counting or registering, and are then presented one by one to the assorting mechanism, certain of the parts being omitted for clarity in illustration;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but omitting the spring arms which are provided for expelling the coins into the delivery passage;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section, substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing a coin as it approaches an escape orifice, with the spring ejector arm pressing against it;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the coin as having reached the escape orifice and as being expelled by the spring arm;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of that portion of the fare collecting machine at which the assorting mechanism is located, but omitting the assorting mechanism and showing only the frame and the discharge passages therein;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the rear plate of the assorting mechanism;

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the front plate of the assorting mechanism;

2,881,775 Patented Apr.

Fig. 8 is a front; elevation of a removable plate which is associated with the front plate of Fig. 7, to define the effective upper edge of the window in the latter and which may be interchanged for other plates of the same general form, but having lower edges of different con; figurations; i I

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic front elevation illustrating the way in which coins of different denominations are segregated from one another;

Figs. 10 to 14, inclusive, are sections in radial planes perpendicular to the front face of the front plate 7, show: ing the relative arrangement of the upper and lower edges of the window in the plate 7 at the location of the several escape orifices, and also showing a portion of the frame ofthe machine, including theparts defining the chamber into which the coins are ejectedi Fig. 15' is a front elevation of the plate which carries the coin ejecting springs; and Fig. 16 is a front elevation of a track section forming an element of the apparatus. '7

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 14, the improved assorting apparatus is here shown as embodied in a fare collecting and recording machine comprising a frame F having a portion 1 which provides a flat downwardly and forwardly sloping surface to the upper part of which is secured a plate 2 having a front face 3 which forms a support forcoins as they move downwardly after having been deposited in the machine, the coins leaning back against the surface 3 as they move downwardly, The plate 2 terminates as indicated in Fig. 5, at the line 4, and below this plate two superposedplates 5 and 6 are arranged. These two plates 5 and '6 are of a combined thickness equalling that of the plate 2 so that the forward surface 3 of the front plate 5 is flush with the surface of the plate 2 and forms a downward continuation of said surface. i

The frame F is provided with bearings for an intermittently rotating shaft S, whose axis is perpendicular to the surface 3, and which is driven by a motor and appropriate gearing, not shown. On the shaft S" is mounted a coin transfer device here shown as .a disk 7 (Figs. 1, 2 and 14) haying radially projecting teeth ,8 which define peripherally spaced, peripherally open peck} ets 9 .each designed to hold a single coin. As this disk or rotor turns a coin which has slid down the face 3 of the plate 2-10 the feeding station 5 (Fig. 1) moves edgewise (while still leaning against the plate 2) into one of the pockets 9 of the rotor 7. At the feeding station a detector element X is arranged to be engagedby a coin entering a pocket of the rotor thereby initiating a cycle of operation of the machine. As the rotor turns it transfers the ,coin within the pocket 9 (and which still leans against the plate 2) to a gauging station ,G (Fig l) where it is gauged as to diameter, and then moves the coin step :by step in the direction of thearrow A (Fig. 1), the .coin being retained in the pocket of the rotor until it is swept across an escape orifice hereafter described, through which it may fall rearwardly. To prevent radial escape of coins from the peripherally open pockets of'the rotor as they are moved along hy the latter, guards ,1!) and "11 are provided (Figs. 1 and 2 The coins are prevented from falling fo r-wa rdly by a ,cover plate (not shown) which is preferably transparent and whicheverlies :thedisk 7. I i

fl'lhe plates 5 and 6 are provided with elongate, arcuate escape apertures or windows 12 and '13, respectively (Figs. 7 and 6) concentric with the axis of the r otor7 andextending to the right (Fig.2) from a point adjacent to the tl'QWfiI' end of the guard 11 to a point substantially in ,the horizontal lplanekof the axis of the muse" window 13 in the rear platelfi has uninterr-uptedarcuate upper and lower edges 14 and 15, respectively. The

upper edge of the window 12 in the front plate (Fig. 7) has a recess R extending from its left-hand edge 17 to a radial shoulder 18. Beyond the shoulder 18, the window 12 has an arcuate upper edge portion 17x extending to the right-hand edge 16 of the window. I

The lower edge of the window 12 (Fig. 7) comprises a concave arcuate portion 19 extending between radial shoulders 20 and 21; a concave arcuate portion 22 (of lesser radius than the part 19) extending between radial shoulders 23 and 24; a concave arcuate part 25 (of greater radius than the part 22 but of smaller radius than the part 19) which extends from the radial shoulder 24 to the radial shoulder 26; and a concave curved part 27 (of greater radius than the part 25) extending from the radial shoulder 26 to the right-hand end 16 of the window.

' The rear plate 6 underlies the recess R in the front plate and forms a support for an arcuate plate 28 (Fig. 8) of the same thickness as the front plate 5 and which fits snugly between the end 17 of the window and the radial shoulder 18, with its lower edge projecting down below the upper edge 14 of the window 13 in the back plate 6. This plate 28 is secured to the back plate by screws and may readily be removed.

The lower edge of the plate 28 (Fig. 8) comprises a convexly curved, arcuate portion 29 extending between the end 30 of the plate and a radial shoulder 31; a convexly curved arcuate portion 32 extending between the radial shoulder 31 and a radial shoulder 33 (this portion being of lesser radius than the part 29); a convexly curved arcuate portion 34 extending between radial shoulders 33 and 35 and of lesser radius than the part 32; and a convexly curved arcuate portion 36 (of lesser radius than the part 34) extending between the radial shoulder 35 and the right-hand end 37 of the plate. When the parts are assembled, the plate 28 occupies the recess R and its lower edge forms the eflEective upper boundary of the window 12 from the end 17 to the shoulder 18.

A series of track members 38, 39, 40 and 41 (Figs. 2 and 9). is arranged adjacent to the lower edge of the window 12 in the front plate. Each track member has an arcuate upper or body portion and a pair of downwardly directed radial legs, one at each end. For example, the track member 39 (Figs. 2 and 16) has the legs 42 and 43, each provided with an elongate slot 44 (the slots preferably being wider at their upper ends than at their lower ends). These slots in the legs receive pins 45 (Fig. 2) projecting forwardly from the front plate 5, the track members being movable in a radial direction to the extent permitted by the length ofthe slots 34. A hair-pin spring 46 has a central coil which embraces a pin 47 projecting from the plate 5, midway between the legs 42 and 43, and has divergent legs 48 and 49 which engage the lower edge of the body portion of the track member, the spring thus urging the track member up toward the window 12, such movement being limited by the engagement of the pins 45 with the lower ends of the slots 44. As thus arranged, the track members may yield downwardly in response to abnormal pressure, and they may also tilt about the pin 47 as a center.

The upper edges of the track members 39, 40 and 41 are normally concentric with the edge portions 22, 25 and 27, respectively, of the lower edge of the window 12, and are spaced below said edge portions 22, 25 and 27, the upper edge of each track section acting as a support for the lower edge of a coin, the coin rolling along this upper edge of the track section as it is progressed by the rotor. The track section 38 (Figs. 2 and 10) has secured to it, for example by rivets 50, a part 51 having a concavely curved, arcuate upper edge which projects up above the edge portion 19 and forms the effective lower edge of the window 12 at this part of the window.

As illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 9, the lower 4 edge portion 51 and the upper edge portion 29 of the Window 1'2 are normally spaced .ap'artaradial distance which is less than the diameter of a normal dime by an amount slightly less than the distance between the edge 51 and the upper edge 51 of the track section 38. Thus, when a dime is rolled along the track section 38, its upper edge receives no support from that portion of the plate 28 which is immediately above the edge 29, and thus the dime tends, by gravity, to fall rearwardly through the windows 12 and 13. However, coins of larger diameter will receive support from that part of the plate 28 which is immediately above the edge 29, and'will continue to roll along the track section 38 as they are propelled by the arms of the rotor. The radial distance between the portion 22 (Fig. 9) .of the lower edge of the window 12 and the portion 32 of the upper portion of the window is such that the upper edge of a one-cent piece, rolling along the track section 39, will receive no support from the plate 28 and will thus fall rearwardly through the window; in the same way a nickel will fall rearwardly between the edges 25 and 34; a token will fall-between the edges 25 and 36; and a quarter will fall between the edges 27 and 17x. Those parts of the window 12 through which the coins thus fall rearwardly (although they are actually. portions of One continuous opening) are referred to as escape ports or orifices and are designated for convenience by the characters E E E E and E (Fig. 9).

Behind the windows 12 and 13 (Fig. 12) the frame F has a part F defining a chamber which is divided (Fig. 5) by partitions 52, 53, 54 and 55 and the end walls 56 and 57,. into a plurality of delivery passages 58, 59, 60,

61 and 62, respectively, whose upper ends register with the escape ports or orifices E etc., and whose lower ends are arranged to deliver coins into receptacles (not shown) arranged to receive them.

Since the coin leans back against the plate 5 as it is swept along by the rotor, it tends to fall rearwardly through the first escape port which is wide enough to permit it to fall. However, to insure such rearward fall or escape of the coin from the rotor pocket, for example, if a coin is sticky (for instance from an accumulation of chewinggum), it is preferred to provide ejecting means.

For this purpose there is provided a plate 63 (Figs. 1 and 15) which overlies the front plate 5 (resting on spacer members 64 and 65*, Fig. 2), and which has a series of elongate slots 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68 (Fig. 15) through which project the free ends of spring fingers 69 (Figs. 1 and 15 each fixed at its opposite end to the plate 63 by screws or rivets 70. The free end portion of each finger is preferably bent as shown at 71 (Figs. 3 and 4) to provide a smooth, extended, coin-contacting portion. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the coin-contacting port-ion engages the front face of a moving coin C and exerts rearward pressure against the coin. As the coin reaches an escape orifice, for example, the orifice E (Fig. 4) through which it may fall rearwardly, the spring pressure against the face of the coin acts to eject the coin forcibly through the escape orifice and into the corresponding delivery passage.

Since the track sections 38, etc. are resiliently yieldable, they will yield sufiiciently, if engaged by a coin having a marginal irregularity, to avoid jamming, although normally. remaining at a fixed, predetermined distance from the upper edge of the window in the plate 5. As the plate 28 is readily removable, it may easily be exchanged for a similar plate but having a different series of edge sections 29, 32, etc., for example sections of different radii, so that the assorting mechanism may be adapted to assort coins or tokens of a different series of denominations.

In the operation of the apparatus, the coins are moved around intermittently by the rotor 7, one coin in each pocket 9, and are carried in an arcuate path which overlies the series of escape ports or orifices E E etc. Any

coin larger than a dime will pass the escape port E without falling rearwardly through the latter, but a dime will fall rearwardly through the escape port E into the passage 58. In the same way any coin larger than a. one-cent piece will pass the escape port E while a onecent piece will fall rearwardly through said port into the corresponding discharge passage 59. Nickels will fall rearwardly through the escape port E tokens through the port E and quarters through the port E Thus, coins or tokens of five different diameters are automatically assorted by the mechanism and delivered through separate discharge passages into receptacles arranged to receive them.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has herein been disclosed by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Coin-assorting means for use in apparatus for collecting multiple-coin fares and wherein a disc-like coinimpelling rotor, provided with peripherally spaced, peripherally open coin-receiving pockets, defined by radial arms, and which are circumferentially elongate and of a peripheral length exceeding the diameter of the largest coin to be collected and symmetrical in contour with reference to a radius of the rotor, overlies and substantially contacts the forwardly and downwardly inclined, flat surface of a rigid support onto which coins are delivered and down which a coin slides by gravity action to enter an upwardly directed pocket of the rotor, and wherein the axis of the rotor is perpendicular to said surface and the rotor is turned intermittently, always in the same direction, said assorting means comprising a support having a surface disposed in the same plane as the aforesaid surface and against which coins lean as they move outwardly away from the axis of the rotor while the pockets, in traversing the lower portion of their path of motion, are directed downwardly, said last-named support having a series of arcuate, circumferentially elongate escape-port apertures coaxial with the rotor and each of a circumferential length at least as great as the width of a rotor pocket, each escape-port aperture having an upper convex, arcuate edge concentric with the rotor and of a radius exceeding the radius of the inner edge of the rotor pockets, and a lower concave edge coaxial with the rotor and of a radius exceeding that of the tips of the arms of the rotor, the radial widths of successive escape-ports, measured in the direction of rotation of the rotor, increasing respectively and being of such radial widths, that coins of successively greater diameter may fall rearwardly through said ports as they are swept along by the rotor arms, a coin-turning element associated with each escape-port, said coin turning elements overlying the support in which the escape-port apertures are formed and being spaced from the lower edges of the respective apertures, each of said elements being operative, by engagement with the edge of a coin, frictionally to turn the coin as it is rolled along said element by the rotor arm, the radial width of each escape-port aperture in the support, plus the distance between the lower edge of the port aperture and the coin-turning element, equaling the diameter of the largest coin which may escape through that particular port, and means whereby the distance between a coin-turning element and the lower edge of the corresponding port aperture may increase in response to abnormal pressure of a coin against said cointurning element.

2. A multiple-fare coin-collecting apparatus of the kind wherein a forwardly and downwardly sloping rigid support has a smooth surface against which a coin leans backwardly as it slides down by gravity action along the support, and wherein a disc-like rotor, of a uniform thickness approximating that of the largest coin to be collected, is arranged in substantial contact with said surface and to turn about an axis perpendicular to said surface, said rotor having equally spaced radial arms defining between them peripherally spaced, peripherally open coin pockets each symmetrical with reference to a radius of the rotor, each pocket being of a circumferential width exceeding the diameter of the largest coin to be collected, and means for guiding a coin to enter the open end of a pocket when the latter is directed upwardly, means to prevent escape of coins from the pockets except within a predetermined arc, of approximately of the path of movement of the pockets and within which they are directed downwardly, characterized in having means for assorting coins which slide downwardly in the pockets of the rotor when the pockets are directed downwardly, said assorting means comprising a support providing a downwardly and forwardly inclined surface, in substantially the same plane as the first-named coinsupporting surface, said last-named support being so constructed and arranged as to provide a series of circumferentially elongate, arcuate coin escape-ports each having a convex upper edge concentric with the rotor and of a radius exceeding that of the inner edges of the coin pockets and each having a concave lower edge coaxial with the rotor and which is of a radius exceeding that of the outer ends of the arms of the rotor, coin-turning elements disposed in the plane of the rotor and each having an edge which is coaxial with the rotor and which is normally spaced a predetermined radial distance from the lower edge of the corresponding escape-port in the support, those portions of the last-named surface which are immediately above and immediately below the upper and lower edges, respectively, of each escape-port, constituting ledges against which the upper and lower portions of the rear face of a coin may rest, providing said coin be of a diameter exceeding the radial width of the escape-port in the support plus the radial distance between the lower edge of the escape port and the cointurning element, means so supporting each coin-turning element as to permit it resiliently to yield outwardly and away from the center of the disc in response to the presence, between it and the inner edge of a rotor pocket, of a coin of abnormal size, and means defining independent coin passages for receiving coins which fall rearwardly through the several escape-ports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 860,960 Broga July 23, 1907 875,585 Johnson Dec. 31, 1907 957,332 Hastings May 10, 1910 1,734,283 Baur et a1. Nov. 5, 1929 1,749,421 Donnellan Mar. 4, 1930 1,819,701 Downey Aug. 18, 1931 2,080,389 Rasmussen May 11, 1937 2,423,502 Jorgensen July 8, 1947 2,594,422 Gordon Apr. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 50,419 Germany Ian. 16, 1890 292,536 Germany June 15, 1916 412,052 Gerat Britain June 21, 1934 

